In 2009 I suddenly lost my sense of smell, leaving me also unable to taste and having to re learn odour and flavours. Of most anxiety though was my inability to access the ‘smell memories’ I had accrued through life. This talk discusses how I became intrigued in the process of searching for ‘lost files’ and how it has enhanced my art practice.

Many people don’t consider anosmia (loss of smell) as a disability because it doesn’t affect the ability to communicate with others. It does however, severely affect our ability to communicate with our environment and since losing my sense of smell I have consciously, and sub consciously been drawn to making work that investigates ‘hidden’ patterns or loose connections.

Guided walks have become a good way to engage people in discussion on these themes. Often the research and preparation for these walks opens new thinking and I am indebted to the support of Ben Waddington, director of Still Walking festival, for encouraging me to pursue this line of enquiry.

What is PechaKucha?

PechaKucha’s 20×20 presentation format shows your 20 chosen images, each for 20 seconds. In other words, you’ve got 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way. PechaKucha means “chit chat” in Japanese. This creative outlet began as nighttime get-togethers in Tokyo in 2003 by two renowned architects. Since then, three million people have attended PechaKucha events worldwide.